Seal-lock



(No Model.)

0. P. HIX.

SEAL LOCK.

N0. 447,489. Patented Mar. 3, 1891.

17 g v v 14w V INVE/VTOI? A TTOR/VEV UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER PERRY HIX, OF BOCKLAND, MAINE.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,489, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed April 16, 1890. Serial No. 348,279. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER PERRY HIX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rockland, in the county of Knox and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seal-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

- receipt by unauthorized persons.

For a clear understanding of the invention recourse may be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein similar figures of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a partial front View of a car, showing the lock applied. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing the same about to be locked. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the same locked, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the same unlocked preparatory to opening the door.

The main portion of the lock consists of a metal casting 10, having apertured ears 1] at its top and bottom, whereby it may be secured, by screws or other proper means, to the car-door. IVithin said casting is formed a longitudinal recess 12, open at its rear and having a front concave wall 13, at the ends of which recess, between said wall and the main body of the casting, are formed aligning vertical openings 14 and li At the rear and base of said recess is formed a lug 15, which is beveled on opposite sides toward the wall 13 at an obtuse angle thereto, and projecting in the direction of the opening 14, said lug being preferably faced with a thin strip of brass or other suitable metal, the wall 13 being also similarly faced, in order to prevent wear upon said lug and wall by the other part of the lock presently to be described, as well as to facilitate the entrance and exit of said part to and from the recess 12.

To a staple 16, secured to the stop or jamb of the door in alignment with the recessed portion of the casting 10, is attached a band or strip 17 of spring metal, preferably tin, which is bent upon itself midway of its extremities to embracethe staple, and each of the members of said strip near its outer eX tremity, which is preferably rounded off to facilitate its entrance to the recess in the casting, has formed therein a recess 18, one the counterpart of the other.

In operation, the parts of the lock being in place, as described, the door of the car is moved toward its stop and the free end of the strip 17 is inserted at the opening 14 in the casting, and as the door is brought in contact with its stop or jamb said strip enters the recess 12, and, contacting with the opposing face of the lug 15, is forced against the face of the wall 13, and partakes of its con tour until the recesses 18 in the strip 17 reach the point of said lug, whereupon said strip springs back from the wall 13 and the vertical walls of the recesses 18 are brought on either side of said lug. The parts of the lock are thus secured and the strip cannot be withdrawn without disinenibering-it. When it is desired to again open the car-door for the discharge of freight or baggage, all that is necessary is to cut the strip 17 with a pair of shears at any point between the staple and casting, whereupon the members of the strip may be readily pushed through the casting and withdrawn at the opening 14.

The strip 17 may have stamped therein emblems or characters, such as the date of sealing, or points from and to which the car is to travel under seal, or both, as may be desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a seal-lock for car-doors, the combina tion, with a doubled strip or band of spring metal secured to the car next the door and formed with aligning recesses in one edge near its free end, of a metal casting secured to the car-door, formed with an interior recess having a concave front wall and a forwardlyprojecting catch fixed to the base of said recess,substantially as shown and de scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of March, 1890.

OLIVER PERRY HIX. lVitncsses:

A. B. CHOBOT, A M. V. ORONIN.

IOC 

